70 YEAR HISTORY (1946-2016)

It was back in 1946 that the legendary golfer Stan Leonard of Marine Drive Golf Club and some local pros created the BC MATCH PLAY. The event would become one of Canada’s Premier Golf Tournaments, reported to be 2nd in popularity to the Canadian Open in its heights. It is reported (by the late Arv Olson) that before the age of television and PGA Tour golf, fans would come in the thousands to watch some of the top local Amateurs take on some of the top PGA Pros in some heated battles on BC’s most exclusive Private Clubs. At its peak in 1953, the BC MATCH PLAY would record upwards of 25,000 fans over the course of the event from the Qualifying Rounds to the 36-Hole Finals. “Only the Canadian Open can compare with that kind of attendance” stated Leonard after taking the F.B. McElroy trophy for the 4th time.

By 1973, and sponsored by the Vancouver Sun, the format changed to team-best ball in an effort to re-kindle interest and accommodate larger entries. With additional players the purse increased to a whopping $4,300. Pros Gordie Fairburn and Tom Moryson each collected $600 for the first of 2 straight victories. Sponsored by Mitsushiba Canada in 1992, Ward Stouffer and Lanny Sawchuck pocketed $1,500 each as Champions. In the late 1990’s, RE/MAX Canada took over the Title Sponsorship of the event under the helm of Bill Wilms of Fairway Tournaments. When RE/MAX pulled out their sponsorship of the event in 2006, Fairway Tournaments passed on the torch to the Vancouver Golf Tour, and in 2007 the BC MATCH PLAY had a new Title Sponsor in CANADA BREAD, who has retained the Title Sponsor role to this day. In 2014, with efforts to increase attendance in field size, the BC MATCH PLAY expanded to include two Tournament Divisions, namely the scratch tournament and handicap tournament.

With continued thanks to eight year Title Sponsor CANADA BREAD, this year’s BC MATCH PLAY Total Purse has increased to $17,500. The scratch team’s winning share will equal $5,000 and the handicap team’s winning share will equal $2,000, the maximum allowable for amateurs to accept in golf competition.

Although we are fairly sure now that the PGA TOUR coverage and television will make it hard to reach a fan base of 25,000 golfers on site, we are hoping we can create some special online moments for our fans through our official website and social media feeds. Stay tuned for announcements on how you as the local golf fan enjoy the match updates and some video streaming of the matches on our website and through social media.

On behalf of the Vancouver Golf Tour, our tournament committee and team of volunteers, I hope you have an incredible experience at this year’s BC MATCH PLAY and look forward to sharing some great memories on the golf course with you all!

Whether you are a spectator lining the ropes or registered in the field with your partner, I look forward to seeing you at the Qualifying Weekend on March 25th or 26th at Pagoda Ridge in Langley!

I hope you enjoy the 70th Anniversary Celebration of this historic event!

Vancouver City Match Play Turns 70

The City Match Play conceived by Stan Leonard, Fred Wood, Ernie Brown and Jock McKinnon has basically been played as an individual competition and a team competition throughout the seventy years. The event may be a one of a kind for competitions in North America. The competition has four distinguishing characteristics:

It is the last surviving match play event in BC

As a team competition it is a best ball score format

It gives amateurs the opportunity to play against professionals

The competition is stretched over six weekends.

Match Play Champions 1946-2015

1946 Fred Wood

Frank McElroy, Walt McElroy’s father, donated the McElroy Trophy

McElroy Trophy

Province Match Play

1947 Bill Mawhinney

1948 Stan Leonard

1949 Stan Leonard

1950 Stan Leonard

1951 Hugh Morrison

1952 Hugh Morrison

1953 Stan Leonard

1954 Stan Leonard

1955 Bill Mawhinney

1956 Bert Ticehurst

1957 Bill Thompson

The Vancouver Province dropped their sponsorship

City Match Play Open

1958 Lyle Crawford

1959 John Johnston

1960 Lyle Crawford

1961 Bob Cox Jr

1962 Bert Ticehurst

1963 Lyle Crawford

Dueck Match Play

1964 Lyle Crawford

1965 Don Gardner

The Vancouver Sun newspaper commenced a fourteen year relationship with the event.The McElroy Trophy was retired and replaced by the Sun Match Play Open Trophy.

Vancouver Sun Match Play trophy

Sun Match Play Open

1966 John Russell

1967 Bob Cox Jr.

1968 Dick Munn

1969 Bob Cox Jr.

1970 Dick Munn

The Sun Match Play Open trophy was retired and replaced by the Bill Thompson Trophy

1971 Ron Willey

1972 Doug Reid

1973 Gord Fairburn/Tom Moryson

Bill Thompson Trophy

1974 Gord Fairburn/Tom Moryson

1975 Bob Mitchell/Al Kennedy

1976 Dave Mick/Jack Frank

1977 Bob Cox/Dave Barr

1978 Bob Cox/Tom Whittle

1979 Doug Roxburgh/Steve Berry

BCPGA Team Match Play Open

1980 Brian Wells

1981 Doug Roxburgh

BCPGA Steel Bros Match Play Open for the Steel Bros Shield

1982 Bob Cox

1983 Brent Franklin

1984 Sandy Harper

Bill Thompson Trophy

BCPGA Team Match Play Open

1985 Cec Ferguson/Muncie Booth

1986 Bob Cox//John Morgan

1987 Doug Roxburgh/Don Griffiths

1988 Doug Roxburgh/Don Griffiths

1989 Kelly Murray/Stan Dixon

1990 Keir Smith/Ray Henry

1991 Scott Minni/Garrett Deck

The BC PGA ceased operating the City Match Play Team Championship. Bill Wilms, the founder of the very successful Auto West Amateur Golf Tour, assumed the operation of the City Match Play event.

Mitsushiba BCPGA Team Match Play

1992 Ward Stouffer/Lanny Sawchuk

Speedy Auto Glass Team Match Play

1993 Daryl Stubbs/Chris Hairell

1994 Brian Wells /Casey Wells

1995 John Aasen/Murray Poje

1996 Scott Minni/Garret Deck

1997 Jeff Kraemer/Dave Kraemer

BC Team Match Play Open

1998 Dan Douet/Brad Olding

1999 Doug Morgan /David Jukes

Remax BCPGA Team Match Play Open

2000 Marty Scoles/Kris Yardley

2001 Bryn Perry/John Robertson

2002 Dan Norton/Shingo Akizuki

2003 Fraser Mulholland/ Andrew Smeeth

2004 Phil Jonas/James Harper

2005 Matt Palsenbarg/ John Shin

Riverside BCPGA Team Match Play Open

2006 James Allenby/Josh Taylor

BC Match Play Open

2007 Dan Swanson/ Richard Kellington

2008 Matt Palsemberg/John Shin

In 2009 Fraser Mulholland incorporated the BC Team Match Play competition into his Vancouver Golf Tour. He has maintained the team concept with a qualifying event plus four weeks on match play competition to produce the winning team. The same four characteristics of the event have been preserved.

Canada Bread BC Match Play

2009 Mark Burke/Mewail Kidane

2010 Kevin Hogg/ Dave Zibrik

2011 Kevin Stinson/ Josh Taylor

2012 Matt Daniel/ Matt Makinson

2013 Matt Daniel/ Matt Makinson

2014 Jared Rempel/ Ryan Williams

2015 Thomas Hay/ Jeremy Paradis

2016 Brad Clapp / Riley Wheeldon

2017 Matt Palsenbarg / James Allenby

Good luck to all competitors in the 2108 event.

The BC Golf Museum is searching for the original McElroy Trophy, the Vancouver Sun trophy and the Bill Thompson Trophy.